Stripping and conveying mechanism for continuous brick and tile machines



Jan. 2,1923. A

' 1,440,716. c. H.Y|3L|ss.Y .4 STRIPFING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS BRICK ANU'TL MACHINES.'`

FILED FEB. 3. 192|. v 3 SHETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR g/ff/i/w Jan. 2,1923; 1,440,716.

C. H. BLISS.' STRIPPING AND CONVEYING MECHANISIVI FOR CON'IINUOUS BIIICI( AND TILE MACHINES.

FII-ED FEB. 3| 1921. .n 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.fv-'j /d I I V `IIX I HT Ik 4d I u I Jan. 2,1923.. 1 1,440,716.. c.H.\.-BL|ss. l

STRIPPING AND coNvEYlNG MEGHANISM FORI-CONTINUOUS Bmcx AND TILE MACHINES.

man ma. a. 1921. a SHETSAHEH a.'

awt l A n ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. Z, "i923,

narrare cLYnn H. BLISS, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.v

sfr'nrrrrns ANn CONVEYING ivrncHANIsn: ron CONTINUOUS BRICK AND TILE IiIAcI-II'Nns.

Application mea February 3,1921. serial No. 442,273.

T @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it knovvn that l, GLYDn H. B Liss. a citizen of the United States of America7 `residing at Birmingham, in' the county of Jefferson and 'State of alabama have invented certain new and luseful Improvements in Stripping and 'Conveying Mechanism for Continuous Brick and Tile Machines, of which the following isa specifica- 10 tion.

My invention has relation to mechanism for stripping and ccnw-)ying the molded product from continuous brick and tile machines, and its chief object is to accomplish l5 these purposes by a continuous mechanical means which will eliminate labor and reduce cost in connection rwith this phase of the manufacture of machine made brick and tile.

'In a companion application Serial No.

440,286 led the 27th day of lanuary7 1921,

l have described and claimed certain iinproveniente in a continuous machine for the umnufacture of brick from concrete and cementitious mixtures. and my present invention is especially designed to co-operate with that machine, but it is to be understood that my invention may be varied in its design and construction to apply its novel features to the stripping and transferring of the molded product from other continuous machines for the manufacture of brick7 tile or like moldedarticles. In said application I showv endless flights carrying pallets upon which the molded brick are fcru'xed, which pallets arc adapted to he engaged and stripped from the nights by 'a transfer mechanism so timed and disposed as to troivel the ends of the brick by strip- ,ping them in a line parallel with the Walls 40 of the molds on the moving flights.

he purpose of my present invention is lto deal with the pallets as handled Aby such transfer mechanism and my object is to cause the transfer mechanism to automati- 45 callyY stack the pallets on a suitable truck or moving conveyor, preier'ably having racks for 'the reception of stacks of pallets and *which is movable to deliver the molded product to the apparatus in which it is to be dried or otherwise treated to finish it.'

(lne distinctive feature of my invention the provision of a continuously moving receiver for the pallets with yco-ordinated agencies acting on the vreceiver, and the transfer mechanism to effect the stacking of thepallets on the receiver.

A furtherv object is to co-ordinate the drives for the endless iflights of the vmoldi'n't'g machine7 the transfer mechanism, the tra-nsfer adjusting mechanism, and the advancing ofthe pallet receiver,v all being 'so co-ordinated that the pallets are successively stripped from the flights and depositedin stacks upon the receiver by or from Which they are transported to the finishing plan-t or drying kiln.

A further distinctive feature of my `invention is the provision of novel means 'on the transfer by Which the 'pallet carriers Willyie'ldingly pass the pallets already in a stack.

A further distinctive feature is the adapting of the endless transfer conveyor to'have its vertical flight ldisplaced by a cam with a movement so co-ordinated with that of the pallet receiver that the stacking of pallets is possible. The 'drive for this adjusting cam is adapted to permit a 'gradual displacement of the transfer 'conveyor `in one direction and its sudden return to initial position after its completes a stack of pallets. i

My invention also comprises the novel ydetails of construction "and arrangements of parts, which in their' preferred embodiment "only are illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, and inv Whichr- Fig. l is a side elevation of the discharge end of a continuous molding'machine cooperating with my improved transfer mechanismfor the pallets, and ytruck conveyor vto receive the stacks of pallets.

Fig. 2 is a `detail plan vievv diagrammatically illustrating theco-ordinated drives for `the different moving elements.

Fig. 3 `is a sectional view taken on the yline 3 3 of Fig. l, andshovvingfthe pallet receiving truck and the transfer mechanism in front elevation.`

l and 5 are lviews in vertical section il front elevation `of the yielding pallet ',rs of the transfer mechanism. 1g. 6 is a vertical Asectional view taken fon machine flights.-

Fig. 7 uis la detail view of the intermittent drive for the treuferdisplacing carlo.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi'- lar parts throughout the drawings.

According to the illustrated embodiment of my invention, l show a brick molding machine in part, comprising traveling flights 1 driven by sprocket wheels 2 mounted fast on a drive shaft 3 turning in bearings 4 at one end of the supporting frame 5 for the machine. The flights 1 slide onbars 6 carriedV by the cross members 'i of the frame and they support pallets 8 which project beyond the ends of the flights and form the bottoms of the molds, the walls of which are formed by the slottedr walls 9 of the flights. The pallets at each end carry upright spacer boards 10 which project above the top faces of the molded articles 1l, such as brick, blocks, tiles or the like. rlhe pallet bearing flights 1 are caused to travel continuously to the right (Fig. l). A pulley 12, driven from any source of power, is fast on a main overhead drive shaft 13 having suitable bearings 14 and a sprocket 15 which, by means of a chain 16, drives a sprocket 17 fast on the shaft 3.

The transfer mechanism which strips the pallets from the flights comprises a pair of endless chains formed by links 1.8 which around idler sprockets 19 fast on the shaft 20 which is mounted in bearings 21 on the main frame to the left of the bearii'igs 4. The chains 1li, after passing the idler sprockets li), travel upwardly tothe right towards the overhead driving sprockets 22 which are ,fast on a shaft 23 that jonrnaled in bearings 24. This shaft 23 is provided with a sprocket 25 driven by a chain 26 from a sprocket 2.7 on the main drivino shaft 13. To yavoid in the transfer' chains in their flight from the sprockets 19 to 22 I provide for each chain a vertically inclined guide 28 mounted by suitable supporting brackets 29 and 30 on the main frame 5. These guides 28 extend from the sprockets 19 substantially to the sprockets 22. To the connecting pins 31 (F 6) for the chain links 18 l connect kon the inner side of the chain a swinging hanger comprising' a bracket member 32 which tapers upwardly to its 'journalboss 33 and which is reinforced by side and bolitom webs forming a shallow inwardly facing pocket across which is passed. rivet pin which pivotallv mountsl in ing posit-ion, as shown in Fig. 4, rests in horizontal position on the bottom .flange 36 of its bracket. The plate. however, is free to swing upwardly to dotted position (Fig. 4), when it will engage a flat spring B7 attached to the upper end of the bracketl and adapted to press the plate outwardly so that it will fall 'down by gravity to its horizontal operating position. These lifting plates on a pair of oppositely disposed brackets are so adapted to move into position under and We pocket vswinging platev 5, which in normal operat lift the outer ends of a pallet from the flights, as seen in F ig. 6, and the disposition of the guides 28 and the co-related movement of the transfer 18 and the flights 1 are such as to cause each pallet to be stripped with a parallel line of movement between the slotted flight walls 9 forming the ends of the molds above such pallet and by this means the ends of the finished product are troweled. The transfer mechanism as thus described, lifts the flights upwardly until the chains 18 pass over the sprocket 22 and tl'ierefrom the chains pass downwardly to the idler sprockets 38 journaled in sliding bearings 39 which are vertically movable in guides 40. The bearings arel yieldingly pressed downwardly by coil springs 41 which will yield sufficiently to permit the displacement of this vertical flight of the chains by the means and for the purposes later de scribed. From the idlers 38 the chains 18 return to the sprockets 19.

The main frame 5 is preferably supported in elevated position by a frame work 42 above a conveyor which is adapted to receive the pallets from the transfer mecha-i nism. This conveyor, as shown, is formed by a series of trucks 43 mounted to travel. on wheels 44 along tracks 45. The trucks are preferably made up of an open rectangular channel iron frame which projects but y slightly above the top level of the wheels and the tracks 45 are preferably formed by npturned channels mounted on any suitable supports 46. The wheels are mounted on axles 4i' which are adapted to be engaged by teeth 48 on an endless feeder chain 49 which passes centrally and lengthwise of the-track and which is driven by means of a sprocket. wheel 50 at one end, there being a similar idler sprocket (not shown) at the other end of the chain. rlhe sprocket 50 is mounted on a shaft 51 which is driven by means of a chain 52 from a sprocket wheel 53 on a conntershaft 54, rwhich in turn is driven by f a sprocket wheel 55 through a chain 56 leading from a sprocket wheel 57 on thev main shaft 13. This countershaft 54 is mounted in suitable bearings 55% disposed upon a forward extension of the metal frame work. which supports the Amechanism for causing the del ry end of the transfer mechanism to more intermittently with the trucks.

This transfer moving mechanism comprises a pair of si llr fly disposed cams 60, each having a radial face 6.1. connecting the inner and outer ends of a curved working face 62 which follows a curve, similar to a spiral, plotted so as to push the chains 18 to the right, and canse the descending flight of the chains to have a displacement equal to and timed with the movement of the conveyor 43 duringthe time that the curved working faces of the cams are controlling the chains. ln other words, assumnaamw-ie ing that when the curve faces at the Ebase of the straight face 61 engage the `chains "the 'cains are iii initial position, yas shown 'a movement co-ordinated with the frot-atio'n of the 'truck moving sprockets l50 and will displace the chains to the right with a movement lequal to lthe movement of lthe vreceiving truck. hen "the cams yreach the extreme of their operating position, shown in Fig. 7. the transfer chains will have deposited the predetermined :number of Lpallets' to form a stack `on the 'truck vand lit is then necessary to lpermit the' transfer chains to return to "initial vposition 'by shifting backward relatively to the continuously moving `truck suliiciently lito 'permit ithe flights to renter the 'ne-Xt succeeding rack. It is 'desirable to vobtain this shift with a Vquick movement and this l laccomplish by providing Ia lost-motion `drive for ythe cams, shown `in F 1g. 7, which consists `of fan idler pinion 6l meshing a complete driven gear v65, fast on the ica'm sha-ft 6G, and a fragmental driving gear 67 `fast on the vcou-ntershaft 54. 'Ehe teeth rare removed from the gear 67 through anarc which represents the idle `movement of the cam from maximum displacement position, Ashown lin Fig. 7, to initial or Zero displacement position, shown in Fig. l, and 'the gears are so arranged that the cam gear is yreleased at the lmoment ofthe cam assuming the ina-X- `imuin displacement position, as fi-n F ig. 7.

llVhen the cams are thus released, vbearing in mind that the chains are 'in Yengagement with the cams and that their weight and movement tend to shift the cams towards vtheir zero displacement position, the effect actually obtained is that ythe cams will shift `almost instantly from their positions in 'chain moves forward equally with the poclf.- `et while lowering the pallet down through the pocket. In this nia-nner this pallet and the succeeding nine pallets are both advanced and lowered with tho movement of the core so that at the completion `of the c vcle the ten are deposited in the rack poolt-` Vet and the operation is repeated continuously.

In order that the pallet carriers may, as

ythey lmove downwardly, pass the pallets already fin'fa staclnrthe `pallet supporting hinge plates- Aare Ihinged so that kthey will swing upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and they will lthus 'pass the lower pallet ends `in a stack 'without positive engagement therewith, and

'obviously 'thesupporting plates will release the pallets which they respectively support `when ithe latter engage the palletsin 1the stack."

The severalV driving sprockets on 4the :shaft 13 fand the driven sprocket on the shafts 3,23, 5l and 54 'are :all designed and arranged to produce a co-ordinated continuous Adrive and adjustment `of parts' as:

described so that the transfer 'successively strips the ipallets from Ythe molding `machine flights, A'deposits `them in stacks ybetween the racks y53) of the moving conveyor trucks 43 and vreturns tothe Amold-ing machine flights,

while the rack trucks are moved continuously preferably into a drying kiln 'so that the green molded fproduct 'can be fnished yready for shipment without handling.

Having thus described finy invention, what l claim as 'new fand' desire i'to secure by` Letters Patent, is

SL. The combination with ya Acontinuous molding machine, off a continuous transfer to strip vpallets from a molding machine, `a

requiring moving :receiver on which the pallets are,`

deposited by said transfer., and means to move `the transfer mechanism in correspondence with the receiver' to deposit the .pallets in stacks thereon.

2. The combination with a 'continuous molding machine, Aef an endless ltransfer adapted Ato strip pallets from the molding machine, Aa moving receiver upon which the pallets are deposited by said transfer, and means to move the delivery portion of the transfer intermittently in synchronism with the receiver to stack the pallets thereon.

The combination with a. continuous molding VVmachine, 'of a continuous transfer adapted to fstrip pallets from the molding machine. a continuously moving'i'eceiver upon which the ypalletsfare deposited by said transfer, means to advance intermittently the deliver'T end of the transfer in svnchronisin with the receiver to deposit thereon the pallets in stacks, and automatic means. tok retract the delivery end of the conveyor as each stach is coiiipletedto start a new stack.

l. The vcombination with a" continuons molding iri'achine. of an endless transfer for stripping pallets from the molding machine,

a continuously moving receiver onto (which i the transfer mechanism is adapted to le- Iposit the pallets, means to move intermittently the delivery end `'of vthe transfer `in synchronism with the carrier to deposit a predetermined number of pallets in a stack.,

means to retract the' transfer i'nechanism back to position to start a new stack, and a common coi-ordinated drive for all said moving parts.

5. The combination with an endless transfer mechanism carrying` articles adapted to be stacked, of a moving,` receiver for said articles, and a continuously moving cam designed andsynchronized with the carrier to move intermittently the transfer mechanism forward equally with the carrierand then back to retract it to initial position before startingagain its forward movement with the carrier.

6. rfhe combination with endless transfer chains having means for carrying; articles adapted to be stacked, of a moving receiver for the articles, and cam means designed and driven to push the delivery end of the transfer chains to displace them at a uniform rate of-speed with the carrier.

7. The combination with endless transfer carrying articles-adapted to be stacked, of a moving receiver for the articles, and means designed and driven to push the delivery end of the transfer at a uniform rate of speed with the carrier, said means comprising` a camhaving asubstantially radialface joining the base and outer edge of a substantially spiral shaped curved Iworking` faceu 8. ln combination, a transfer mechanism comprising a pair of spaced endless chains having means for carrying articles adapted to be stacked, a continuously moving receiver for the articles interposed between the chains, a pair of cams adapted to engage and push the chains forward at a uniform rate with the carrier during the time necessary to complete a stack of articles, and a lost-motion drive for said cams being adapted to permit the chains to shift automatically back to position to start laying,` a. new stack.

9. The combination with a continuous molding machine, of pallet stripping chains l co-operating with the molding machine, pallet receiving,` trucks, means to move the latter at a predetermined speed and in co-ordination with the endless movement of the transfer chains, and means to move the pallet delivery portion of the transfer chains back andforth in coordination with the trucks flights of said chains to cause the deposit of `the pallets thereon at predetermined intervals.

1l. rEhe combination with an endless molding machine for forming molded articles on pallets, of an endless'transfer means having` its movement co-ordinated with the machine and adapted to engage and strip the pallets therefrom, inclined guides forl the transfer during the stripping operation disposed to strip the pallets with a motion parallel with the mold walls, and a pallet receivinp,` conveyor having its movement coi-ordinated with the transfer mechanism and the molding machine to receive the pallets: at predetermined intervals from said transfer.

12. The combination with an endless molding` machine fory forming molded articles on pallets, of an endless transfer means having' its movement co-ordinated with the machine and adapted to enga-ge and strip the pallets therefrom, inclined guides for the transfer during the stripping operation disposed to strip the pallets with a motion parallel with the mold walls, a pallet receiving conveyor having its movement co-ordinated with the transfer `mechanism and the molding' machine to Vreceive the pallets at predetermined intervals, and means to move the discharging portion of the transfer mechanism back and forth in line with the movement of the pallet receiving conveyor and so co-ordinated therewith .as to deposit the pallets in stacks thereon.

13.v An endless pallet transfer comprising an endless carrier, upper and lower sprockets about which a vertical descending flight of the carrier passes, cam means disposed to act on the carrier between saidsprockets to displace it, a yielding support for one of .said sprockets to compensate for the displacement of the carrier, and a moving receiver on which said carrier is adapted to deposit articles.

1.4L. ln combination, a continuous molding machine carrying removable pallets which are adapted to be stacked with the molded articles thereon, an endless conveyor chain having' triangularly arranged sprockets disposed to pass the upward inclined flight of the transfer by the delivery end of the molding machine to strip the pallets therefrom, cam means engaging the downwardly moving vertical flight of the transfer to displace it, a moving' conveyor adapted to receive the pallets from the transfer and having its movement timed with the displacement of the conveyor and the movement of the molding machine and conveyor, and a yielding support for a transfer sprocket to compensate said displacement, substantially as described.

15. The combination with an endless transfer chainA and driving and guide sprockets therefor, a yielding support for one of said sprockets, an actuatingcam to displace the chains adjacent to said sprockets, and a continuous moving article receiver co-operating with said transfer chain.

16. The combination with endless transfer chains and driving and guide sprockets therefor', a yielding support for part of said sprockets, actuating cams to displace the chains adjacent to said sprockets, a continuous moving article receiver (3o-operating with said transfer' chains, said cams being shaped to displace the chain so as to deposit a predetermined number of pallets in one stack on said moving receiver, and a lost-motion drive for said cam.

17. The combination With an endless transfer chain and driving and guide sprockets therefor, a yielding support for one of said sprockets, an actuating cam to displace the chains adjacent to said sprookets, a continuous moving article receiver cooperating with said transfer chain, said cam being shaped to displace the chain so as to deposit a predetermined number of pallets in one stack on said moving receiver, and a lost-motion drive for said cam, said lostmotion being adapted to come into play at the completion of a stack to release the cam and permit the chain and cam to snap automatically to initial position.

18. The combination with an endless transfer chain, of a moving receiver on which said chain is adapted to deposit articles in stacks, a cam to push the chain for- Ward With the receiver While it is depositing a predetermined number of articles in a stack, and means timed With the movement of the receiver to rotate said cam, said means comprising a fragmental gear adapted to release the cam after it has accomplished a maximum displacement of the chain, the cam being adapted7 responsive to the drag and Weight of the chain, to snap forward to complete lits cycle and resume operative relation With its fragmental gear. 19. ln combination, an endless carrier for articles adapted to be stacked, a moving receiver for the articles, and means to intermittently displace the carrier to cause the articles to be stacked on said carrier, said displacing means comprising a cam, a complete gear rigid with the cam, and a fragmental driving gear for the cam gear having suliicient teeth stripped therefrom to permit the cam to shift automatically from its position of maximum carrier displacement to a minimum carrier displacement.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature.

y CLYDE n. Brass; Witness:

NoMrn WELSH. 

